Indicator light assembly



R. w. FRASER INDICATOR LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed NOV. 19, 1958 Oct. 23, 1962 IFF 3,060,401 Patented Oct. 23, 1962 3,060,401 INDICATOR LIGHT ASSEMBLY Robert W. Fraser, Waltham, Mass., assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 774,988 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-125) This invention relates generally to an electrical assembly and specically to an indicator light having mounting means integrally molded therewith to enable the assembly to be mounted parallel to a panel of an appliance or the like.

The modernization of home electrical appliances has resulted in varying ways of indicating to the user which of the various components is energized. In particular in electric ranges or the like, series of colored areas are spaced from each other on a translucent splash glass panel and difculties have been experienced in the industry in mounting indicator lights parallel to these colored areas.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive indicator lamp assembly adapted for parallel attachment to a panel.

A further object of this invention is to provide an indicator lamp assembly having integral mounting means.

Other objects of the invention will, in part be obvious, and will in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a View in side elevation of light assembly;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of this indicator light assembly;

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation, partly in section of the indicator light assembly;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the indicator light assembly mounted on a panel, the panel being in section; and

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated an indicator light assembly comprising a one piece molded housing 12 having a lamp 14 extending from one end and integral means 16 formed thereon for mounting the assembly on a panel 18.

The housing contact 12 consists of a one piece molded insulated structure with a recess 20 at one end and a pair of wire receiving channels 22 extending downwardly from the recess through a closed end 24 of the housing. A lamp 14 having suitable wiring 26 attached thereto is positioned in the recess as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the wiring located within the channels 22 and passing through apertures 28 in the closed end 24 to an external electrical source (not shown).

The mounting means 16 comprise a pair of arms 30 molded integrally with the housing 12 and extending substantially perpendicular thereto from one lateral face 32. The terminal ends 34 of the arms are formed so as to be at right angles to the arms and extend in opposite directions and spaced from the housing a distance equivalent to the thickness of the panel 18.

The panel 18 in which the indicator lamp assembly is to be mounted has located therein an elongated slot 36 with an upper portion 38 wider than a lower portion 40.

To mount the indicator lamp assembly 10 on the panel 18, the mounting portion 16 is inserted through the upper portion 38 of the slot 36 and by drawing the assembly -downward the arms cooperating with the housing 12 engage the walls of the restricted area 40 in such a manner that the panel 18 is frictionally engaged in the area between the housing and the ends 34 of the arms 30. As will be noted from FIG. 5, the bulb 14 is in alignment with the upper opening 38 4for emission of lamp rays therethrough.

Since certain other obvious modiiications may be made in this device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An indicator lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a support panel having an upper opening and a lower opening of less width than said upper opening formed therein and merging with one another thereby defining a keyhole opening therein, a lamp assembly detachably mounted to said support, said assembly including an insulated housing having one end open defining a bulb-receiving recess therein and the other end thereof closed, a longitudinal rib extending from the bulb-receiving recess axially through substantially the center of said housing thereby dening a pair of laterally spaced grooves extending axially through said housing, said closed end of said housing having a pair of spaced openings formed therein in axial alignment with said laterally spaced grooves, lamp means mounted in said bulb-receiving recess, said bulb extending outwardly from said recess and axially with respect to said housing and in registry with the enlarged opening in said support panel for transmission of light rays therethrough, said lamp means including a pair of conductors electrically connected to the end of said lamp positioned in the recess of said housing, each of said conductor means extending through one of the -formed grooves therein and extending outwardly from the housing in spaced relation through the apertures in the closed end thereof, and attaching means integral with one face of said housing and so positioned with respect to said support as to place the lamp in registry with the upper opening formed in said support, said attaching means including base means extending from the face of said housing in substantially transverse relationship thereto and through the lower opening of said support panel, and a pair of arm portions extending outwardly on each side of said base portion in transverse relationship thereto and being laterally spaced from said housing and lying in a plane substantially parallel to said face of said housing, the arm portions being in engagement with the face of the support panel opposite to that of said housing.

2.. An indicator lamp assembly comprising, in combination, a support panel having an upper opening and a lower opening of less width than said upper opening formed therein and merging with one another thereby defining a keyhole opening therein, a lamp assembly detachably mounted to said support, said assembly including an insulated housing having one end open defining a bulb-receiving recess therein, lamp means comprising an illuminating bulb mounted in said bulb-receiving recess, said bulb extending outwardly from said recess and axially with respect to said housing and in registry with the enlarged opening rin said support panel for transmission of light rays therethrough, and attaching means integral with one kface of said housing and so positioned with respect to said support as to place the lamp in registry with the upper opening formed in said support, said attaching means including base means extending from the face of said housing in substantially transverse relationship thereto and through the lower opening of said support panel, and a pair of arm -portions extending outwardly on each side of said base portion in transverse relationship thereto and being liaterally spaced from said housing and lying in a plane substantially parallel to said face of said housing, the arm portions being in engagement with the face of the support panel opposite to that of said housing.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Eckstein et al. July 30, Wolf Dec. 12, Borkenstein Jan. 9, Dotterer Nov. 12, Schultz June 17, Jorgensen May 26, Bower et a1. Dec. 6, Duncan Oct. 30,

4 Linton Nov. 20, 1951 Ananson Sept. 9, 1952 Julien Mar. 4, 1958 Fraser et al. Apr. 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 29, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,007,429, May 2, 1957. 

